The present invention relates to electronic devices, and more particularly, to assigning identifiers to networked power supply apparatus.
Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS) systems are power conversion systems that are commonly used to provide conditioned, reliable power for devices and systems such as computer networks, telecommunications networks, medical equipment and the like. UPS systems can provide temporary power to the devices and systems so that the devices and systems can continue to operate despite a loss of the primary power source and thereby can reduce the likelihood that valuable data may be lost.
UPS systems may provide uninterrupted power by switching from a primary power source to a secondary power source if loss of the primary power source is detected. When the primary power source is restored, the UPS system may switch from the secondary power source back to the primary power source. Similarly, the UPS system may switch from the primary power source to the secondary power source if the UPS system determines that the primary power source is inappropriate. For example, if a voltage level of the primary power source is less than a minimum acceptable level, the UPS system may provide uninterrupted power by switching from the primary power source to the secondary power source.
Conventional UPS systems can include separate modules that provide respective functions to provide the overall operation of the UPS system. For example, some conventional UPS systems include separate modules such as rectifiers, inverters, batteries, and switches that cooperate to provide the overall function of the UPS systems. Moreover, the separate modules may need to communicate to provide the overall UPS system functions. For example, in some of the scenarios described above, a rectifier module may need to communicate the condition of the power provided by the primary power source so that the UPS system can determine whether to switch to the secondary power source.
Some conventional systems may use a network, such as a Controller Area Network (CAN), to communicate between modules in the system. One such system is discussed, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,323,385 to Jurewicz et al., entitled Serial Bus Communication Method in a Refrigeration System. Some of these systems use identifiers to uniquely identify modules within the system. One conventional approach of providing unique identifiers to modules uses a customized connector for each module in the system that provides a unique set of signals to each. One type of customized connector is disclosed, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 6,629,247, entitled Methods, Systems, and Computer Program Products for Communications in Uninterruptible Power Supply Systems Using Controller Area Networks.
Other systems may provide for randomly assigned identifiers to uniquely identify the modules within the system. This can be problematic, however, in the context of maintenance and/or repair services that may rely on the identifier to determine which of the modules requires repair and/or service. Still other systems may use a separate controllers and/or a master module to provide identifiers with the modules.